ON THE GROUND REFLECTION: The conflict which escalated one year ago in Yemen has created one of the world’s biggest humanitarian emergencies and risks pushing millions into famine. Simone Carter, Oxfam emergency responder in Yemen, describes the daily reality of civilian suffering and the challenges of delivering a programme in a conflict zone. As much as I may not like …
What is protection anyway?
LEARNING: If you work for a humanitarian agency then protection, helping people to stay safe in conflicts and disasters, is a core part of your duty of care. Our new materials will help you to understand how everything you do has the potential to reduce or increase the risks people face, as Rachel Hastie, Protection Adviser, explains. The question I …
The human dimension: Greece’s escalating humanitarian crisis
ON THE GROUND REFLECTION: At every EU migration summit in recent months, border security has trumped the safety and wellbeing of people on the move. This has been causing human misery and suffering for the tens of thousands of women, men and children now stranded in Greece and the Western Balkans. Our Advocacy & Policy Lead in Greece, Renata Rendón, …
Syria five years on: hope in the darkness
OPINION: Five years into the Syria conflict, good news has been a rare commodity for millions of people affected by that catastrophic war. Is there any hope? Shaheen Chughtai weighs up the gravity of the situation against the progress being made through a temporary ceasefire, attempted peace talks and a recent donor conference. Over 250,000 people have been killed, 1.2 …
South Sudan: a battle of the sexes
Concepts of masculinity and femininity are deeply embedded in cultural beliefs and practices which underpin violence against women and inequality. Here Protection Project Manager, Kerry Akers, reflects on the nuances between gender and the roles of protector, victim and perpetrator in conflict affected areas of South Sudan. When the village is attacked the boys big enough to fight run with …
El Niño in Ethiopia: “What will happen to us?”
Ethiopia, a country where up to 85 percent of people depend on rain-fed agriculture, is facing its worst drought in 50 years, resulting in a massive food and water insecurity crisis. Millions of people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Catherine Meredith, outlines the scale of the emergency and how it has been exacerbated by climate change and the …
El Salvador: the struggle to survive El Niño
The global El Niño weather phenomenon is being exacerbated by climate change. The UN’s humanitarian agency predicts that in 2016 over 60 million people around the world will be affected by El Niño with impacts including extreme patterns of rain, drought, and cyclones. Here Humanitarian Communications Officer Elizabeth Stevens reports on the difficulties small-scale farming communities Oxfam supports in El …
Good morning Sindhulpalchok! Connecting Nepal’s disaster affected communities with radio
Following the two devastating earthquakes that hit Nepal in April and May 2015, Oxfam quickly responded, ensuring safe and equal access to water and sanitation facilities, and provision of basic needs such as food, cash and hygiene materials. However, it soon became apparent that there was more we could do to help connect communities with information as Simone Carter, Oxfam …
Displacement in eastern DRC: a never ending story
The number of refugees around the world is increasingly making headlines, but what of the plight of the 38 million displaced people who have fled to another part of their own country? Jose Barahona, Oxfam’s Country Director for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), describes the suffering of displaced communities Oxfam works with in eastern DRC where conflict has been …